Gearing for mowing-machines.



No. 702,442. Pa tented lu ne 17, I902.

w. A. KIRBY.

GEARING FOR MOWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Jan. 81, 1902.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn,

WVILLIAM A. KIRBY, OF NEVVDORP, NEWV YORK.

GEARING FOR MO WlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 702,442, dated June 17, 1902. Application filed January 31, 1902. Serial N 2, m model-l To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. KIRBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newdorp, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Gearing for Mowing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to gearing for mowing-machines of the type known as two- Wheeled, and has for its object to provide compensating gearinginterposed between the driving and carrying wheels and mounted upon the main shaft or axle,whereby the speed of rotation of said shaft or axle is rendered practically uniform irrespective of the movement of the machine in a straight line or in a curved path, as in turninga corner or chang-- ing the course of the machine to avoid obstacles of any kind. With the ordinary construction, in which the driving and carrying wheels have a pawl-and ratchet engagement with the main shaft or axle, the outer wheel in making a curve or turning a corner necessarily travels faster than the inner wheel and more rapidly than it does where the machine is moving in a straightline.

With the above object in view the inven tion consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinthe cutting apparatus, thus causing considerable side draft.

In carrying out my invention I employ a main frame 1, in which the ordinary gearing is placed to give the cutters the proper motion. On a main shaft or axle 2 the main gear-wheel 3 is placed, and at the ends of said shaft the driving-wheels 4 are located, the same being mounted on the shaft 2, which is continuous or unbroken. On a shaft 5, at right angles to the main shaft 2, is placed'a bevel pinion or pinions 6, while on the main shaft is placed a bowl gear-wheel '7, which meshes into the bevel pinion or pinions 6 in the driving-gear, said bevel-wheel 7 being keyed or otherwise fixed upon the main shaft 2. On the opposite side ofthe driving gearwheel I place another bevel gear-wheel 8, which meshes into the same bevel pinion or pinions 6 within the driving-gear. One driving-wheel eLis connected to the main shaft by means of a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism, as shown at 9, while the opposite driving-wheel is connected to the bevel gear-wheel Son that side of the driving-gear by pawl-and-ratchet mechanism, as shown at: 10. The main gearwheel 3, bevel-wheel 8, and driving-wheel adjacent thereto are free to turn on the main shaft 2, the pawl-and ratchet mechanism allowing the machine to be out of gear when backing.

When the machine is progressing in astraight line, both of the bevel gear-wheels turn together with the same speed; but as soon as the machine starts upon the curve the wheel at the outer side of the curve turns more rapidly than that at the inner side of the curve and correspondingly accelerates the rotation of the adjacent bevel gear-wheel. The latter operates in turn upon the bevel pinion or pinions, thus having atendency to impart a reverse movement to the oppositelylocated bevel gear-wheel. As said bevelgear cannot turn backward, however, the efiect is to maintain an operative engagement between the shaft and the driving-wheel at the inner side of the curve. Thus the power of both wheels is utilized in describing a curve and the cutting apparatusis driven at practically the same speed on curves as when traveling in a straight line.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

In gearing for 1nowing-macl1ines, the combination with the main shaft, and the carrying-wheels for driving said shaft, of a bevei- I and the other driving-Wheel, substantially as 10 gear loose on the shaft and having a pawlset forth.

and-ratchet engagement with one driving- In testimony whereof I affix my signature Wheel, a second bevel-gear fast on the shaft in presence of two Witnesses.

opposite the first bevel-gear, one or more bevel-pinions interposed between the bevel- KIRBY' gears, a train of gears one of which carries i Vitnesses: the bevel pinion or pinions, and paWl-and- N. REYNOLDS,

ratchet devices interposed between the shaft GEO. E. FREOH. 

